Apparatus for ladle additions

ABSTRACT

A ladle for receiving molten metal is equipped with an elongated refractory lined rod having an enlarged bottom portion which terminates at the lower end of the ladle. A container assemblage is positioned and maintained about the rod and includes containers, each having an enlarged mass portion adjacent the rod and a containing arm extending outwardly therefrom. An addition agent is maintained on the containers through individual upstanding cardboard liners positioned adjacent a peripheral lip of the container arms or by means of a large cardboard and/or steel liner in which the containers are stacked so that the drum forms the outer boundary for the containers. The assemblage can also be a solid cylindrical addition agent such as aluminum encapsulated in a cardboard and/or steel liner. A wedge system can be employed with the container assemblage to hold it in place about the refractory lined rod.

[451 May 7,1974

[ APPARATUS FOR LADLE ADDITIONS [75] Inventors: George Rocher, Pittsburgh, Pa.;

Pierre Andre Vayda, Burlington, Ontario, Canada [73] Assignee: Metallurgical Exoproducts Corporation, McKees Rocks, Pa.

[22] Filed: May 7, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 358,263

[52] US. Cl 266/34 T I 51 im. Cl. ..,C21c 7/00 [58] Field of Search 266/34 R, 34 T, 34 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,168,608 2/1965 Bowden 266/34 T 2,872,179 2/1959 Fisher 266/34 T 2,809,886 l0/l957 Klingbeil 3,079,250 2/1963 Bolkcom et al 266/34 T FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 997,566 7/1965 Great Britain 266/34'T Primary Examiner -Gerald A. Dost Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Webb, Burden, Robinson & Webb 57 ABSTRACT A ladle for receiving molten metal is equipped with an elongated refractory lined rod having an enlarged bottom portion which terminates at the lower end of the ladle. A container assemblage is positioned and maintained about the rod and includes containers, each having an enlarged mass portion adjacent the rod and a containing arm extending outwardly therefrom. An 5 addition agent is maintained on the containers through individual upstanding cardboard liners positioned ad- 7 jacent a peripheral lip of the container arms or by means of a large cardboard and/or steel liner in which the containers are stacked so that the drum forms the outer'boundary for the containers. The assemblage I can also be a solid cylindrical addition agent such as aluminum encapsulated in a cardboard and/or steel liner. A wedge system can be employed with the container assemblage to hold it in place about the refractory lined rod.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 APPAI'Q TUS won LADLE-ADDI'IIONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Our invention relates to ladle addition apparatus and, more particularly, to ladle addition apparatus which assures the addition agent( 5) are added and maintained below the molten metal surface.

In our copending application U.S. Ser. No. 275,184, we disclosed a method and apparatus for making ladle additions which included a plurality of stacked containers positioned about a refractory lined rod. These containers are normally made of sheet metal or of a material such as aluminum which was to be added to the ladle. The containers hold fluxes and/or deoxidizers and- /or alloying agents. While our experiences with-the subject matter disclosed in the aforesaid copending patent application have proven favorable, we found certain in-use conditions which effected the dissolution rate of the containers and the other addition agents. Specifically, containers of relatively thin and constant cross section tended to dissolve uniformly so that the portion adjacent the stopper rod often gave away first thereby permitting the containers to float upward into the slag. Where conditions are such that the time of dissolution is critical (and normally they are) the containers and alloy additions must be kept below the surface until completely dissolved to achieve optimum results.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION We have now improved our ladle addition apparatus by constructing the containers to include an enlarged mass portion adjacent the refractory rod to slow down the dissolution rate in that critical area. In addition, we have substituted liners, preferably cardboard, for a portion of the containers so as to permit rapid dissolution at the outward peripheries of the containers. The liners may be individually placed in each container or a single enlarged drum may be employed as a boundary for the addition agents and the containers stacked within the drum so as to define an opening therethrough which can be inserted on the refractory lined rod. The container can also be a solid apertured mass of addition agent positioned on the refractory rod. The dissolution rate can be further diminished by encapsulating the solid mass in a cardboard and/or steel liner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a section through a portion of a ladle equipped with our device;

FIG. 2 is an isometric of the container with a partial .portion of the container lining;

FIG. 3 is a section taken through the addition apparatus employing a wedge;

FIG. 4 is a section through another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a section through a solid container encapsulated by a cardboard liner.

A standard ladle 40 having a metal casing 41 and a refractory lining 42 is equipped with a refractory lined rod 43 extending into the ladle 40 and terminating near the bottom thereof, FIG. 1. The refractory lined rod 43 is maintained in place by a standard goose neck support 44 which can be connected to the ladle or connected independent of the ladle. The rod 43 terminates in an enlarged refractory section 45 which normally rests on the ladle bottom to minimize vibration, FIG. 1. The standard ladle 10 also includes a bottom aperture, a

. 2 stopper rod and nozzle or other teeming arrangement, not shown, none of which form a part of our invention. However, the standard stopper rod may be used for the installation of our containers in place of rod 43 if it is desired to reduce the cost of the unit.

A plurality of containers, generally designated 46, are positioned on the rod 43 with the lowermost container 46 resting on the enlarged section 45 of the rod 43. These containers 46 are annular in shape and include a central opening 54 which slides over the refractory line rod 43. The containers 46 comprise an enlarged mass portion 47 which defines the central opening 54 and which is positioned adjacent the refractory lined rod 43. Depending outward from the enlarged r'nass portion 47 is a container arm 48 which may terminate in an upwardly extending lip 49. A cardboard liner 50 is positioned within the lip 51 to act as the outer wall of the container 46. The cardboard liners 50 can include a cover portion 55 or can be open at the top, in which case they are closed off by the bottom surface of an adjacent container 46. The addition agent is positioned within the container formed by the enlarged mass portion 47, the container arm 48 and the cardboard liner 50, FIGS. 1-3.

The containers can be tapered to form a conical opening 56 so as to accommodate a wedge 52 inserted therein for purposes of maintaining the desired stacked relationship, FIG. 3-. This taper also simplifies the making of the containers, where molding techniques are employed. Exemplary of this is where the container is made of aluminum which in itself is one of the addition agents. I

A simplified form of the invention is a preformed assemblage comprised of a single cardboard shell or drum 60 in which the containers 61 are positioned in stacked relationship, FIG. 1. The container 61 includes an enlarged mass portion 62 having a tapered surface which defines a central opening 64. Outwardly dependng from the enlarged mass portion is a container arm 63 which extends to the periphery of the container system formed by the shell 60. The containers are stacked within the drum 60 and the upper container 61 can be inverted to form the upper surface therefor, FIG. 4, or the drum can include a cardboard cover or other cover plate as illustrated for the embodiment of FIG. 2.

The central opening 64 extends throughout the of installation on the rod 43. The addition agent 51 is added to the assemblage as the containers are stacked and is maintained thereon by the enlarged mass section 62, the container arm 63, the bottom surface of an adjacent container 61, and the drum 60. To facilitate shipping, handling and installation of this embodiment and maintain the proper assembled relationship, steel strapping 65 is secured about the container and through the central openings 64 and terminates in a loop 66 which can be utilized for movement by a chain hoist or other appropriate lifting and moving device,

The wedge system illustrated in FIG. 3 can also be employed with the embodiment of FIG. 4 to assure that the containers 61 are maintained about the refractory rod 43. Generally a refractory cement, not shown, should be employed to cover the wedges to assure that the wedges will burn or melt when subjected to heat from the molten steel.

mass of the additional agent. A cylindrical apertured' solid block having an equal diameter and height is an optimum practical configuration. Such a cylindrical block 70 is illustrated in FIG. 5. Cylindrical block 70 has a central opening 72 therethrough which cooperates with refractory rod 43, FIG. 5. Block 70, which is solid, rests on the enlarged refractory section 45. The dissolution rate of block 70 can be further diminished by a liner 74 of a material such as cardboard which is positioned about block 70. The wedge system, as disclosed above, can be utilized to maintain the block 70 properly submerged.

v Throughout we have generally referred to the liners 50, 60 and 74 as cardboard liners. However, the liners may be made of other materials which will delay the dissolution rate of the addition agents. In particular, steel liners may be used in place of or in addition to the cardboard liners.

We have found that the enlarged mass portion of our containers andthe cardboard outer portions result in a proper dissolution rate of the materials employed and has eliminated any problem of floating of the containers and/or agents contained therein. 1

We claim:

1. In a ladle for making additions to molten metal including a refractory lined apertured ladle, means to open and close the ladle aperture and a refractory lined rod extending within the ladle to the lower end thereof, the improvement comprising container means positioned about said rod and including an enlarged mass portion adjacent said rod, a container armjextending outward from the enlarged mass portion and ladle addi- 4. tion agents retained on the container arm.

2. The improvement of claim 1 including a hollow containment shell and a plurality of stacked container means within the shell and said containing arms extending from the enlarged mass portion to the shell to accommodate certain of the addition agents.

3. The improvement of claim 1 including wedge means positioned between the container means and the refractory lined rod.

4. The improvement of claim 1 including a plurality of stacked containers, each container including a con- .tainer arm extending outward from the enlarged mass portion and terminating in a lip and a liner positioned normal to the container arm, spaced from the enlarged mass portion and adjacent the lip.

5. The improvement of claim 2, said shell being annular and the container means having a central passageway to accommodate the refractory lined rod.

6. The improvement of claim 2, said shell and container means maintained in assembled relationship by strapping extending thereabout to form a container means assembly for insertion on the refractory lined rod. I

7. A ladle addition assemblage comprising a hollow containment shell, a plurality of stacked containers within the shell, a ladle addition agent in the containers and a securement means cooperating with the containers and the shell to maintain the assemblage in assembled relationship, each container including an enlarged mass portion with a central opening therethrough and a containing arm extending outwardly from the enlarged-mass portion to the shell, the central openings of the containers being in alignment to form a continuous opening through the assemblage.

8. The assemblage of claim 7, said securement means comprising'strapping wrapped about the shell through the continuous central opening. 

1. In a ladle for making additions to molten metal including a refractory lined apertured ladle, means to open and close the ladle aperture and a refractory lined rod extending within the ladle to the lower end thereof, the improvement comprising container means positioned about said rod and including an enlarged mass portion adjacent said rod, a container arm extending outward from the enlarged mass portion and ladle addition agents retained on the container arm.
 2. The improvement of claim 1 including a hollow containment shell and a plurality of stacked container means within the shell and said containing arms extending from the enlarged mass portion to the shell to accommodate certain of the addition agents.
 3. The improvement of claim 1 including wedge means positioned between the container means and the refractory lined rod.
 4. The improvement of claim 1 including a plurality of stacked containers, each container including a container arm extending outward from the enlarged mass portion and terminating in a lip and a liner positioned normal to the container arm, spaced from the enlarged mass portion and adjacent the lip.
 5. The improvement of claim 2, said shell being annular and the container means having a central passageway to accommodate the refractory lined rod.
 6. The improvement of claim 2, said shell and container means maintained in assembled relationship by strapping extending thereabout to form a container means assembly for insertion on the refractory lined rod.
 7. A ladle addition assemblage comprising a hollow containment shell, a plurality of stacked containers within the shell, a ladle addition agent in the containers and a securement means cooperating with the containers and the shell to maintain the assemblage in assembled relationship, each container including an enlarged mass portion with a central opening therethrough and a containing arm extending outwardly from the enlarged mass portion to the shell, the central openings of the containers being in alignment to form a continuous opening through the assemblage.
 8. The assemblage of claim 7, said securement means comprising strapping wrapped about the shell through the continuous central opening. 